Billet breaker



Nov. 23, 1943.

R. G. LE TOURNEAU BILLET BREAKER Filed Dec. 18, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet l flu/11W R G, LeTburneaw NOV. 23, 1943. LE TOURNEAU 2,334,940

BILLET BREAKER Filed Dec. 18, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 wuwbou R6. LeYbufneau,

Patented Nov. 23, 1943 g UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE H I 2,334,940 I p BILLET BREAKER Robert Le, Tourneau, Peoria, 111., assignor to,

R. G. Le Tourneau, Inc., Stockton, Calif., a corporation of California Application December 18, 1942, Serial No. 469,440

8 Claims.

This invention relates in general to an attachment for use in connection with a power press; an object of this invention being to provide an attachment which, when assembled in combination with a power press, produces effective apparatus for breaking billets into forge pieces or blanks for the subsequent production of forgings, such pieces as broken by the apparatus being gauged thereby to an equal and predetermined length. 1

A further object of this invention is to provide a billet breaker which includes, in combination with a power press, a unique assembly operative to rigidly support a billet with one end portion thereof resting on and projecting in unsupported relation beyond an inverted V-shaped breaking edge or fulcrum member; the press including a plunger disposed to strike said projecting portion of the billet on the side opposite the breaking edge with sufficient force to break or fracture said portion from the remainder of the billet.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a billet breaker, as in the preceding paragraph, which includes a stop element arranged to gauge the extent of projection of said end portion of the billet beyond the breaking edge, whereby each forge piece as broken from the billet is of an equal and predetermined length.

An additional object of this invention is to provide a billet breaker which comprises a rigid base adapted to be secured on the bed of a power press, a member including a breaking edge, said memoer being mounted on top of and with said edge projecting above said base, a billet supporting roller frame pivoted at its inner end in connection with and extending generally horizontally and outwardly from the base in a plane to support a billet with one end portion thereof initially closely overhanging but clearing said breaking edge and projecting therebeyond in unsupported relation, a fixed yoke which closely straddles the supported billet intermediate said breaking edge and the outer end of the roller frame, and power means to forcefully swing said frame upward about its pivot whereby to engage the billet between its ends with the yoke and to force said one end portion of the billet downwardly intopositive engagement with said breaking edge; the power press including a plunger disposed above said projecting and unsupported portion of the billet,

said plunger being adapted for downward move- A further object of the invention is to produce ,a simple and effective device, and'yet one which will be exceedingly-efiective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

' In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the apparatus showing a billet in engagement with the gauging stop but before elevation of the roller frame to bind the billet against the breaking edge.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary side elevation illustrating the position of the parts after upward swinging movement of the roller frame, binding of the billet, and subsequent downward movement of the plunger.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the apparatus.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, the numeral 1 indicates the bed of a power press. An upstanding base 2 is seated on and detachably secured to the bed I by means of bolts 3; said base '2 being of substantial width at its upper edge.

Such upper edge of the base 2 is horizontal and fitted with a transversely extending member 4 which is formed with an upwardly projecting inverted V -shaped breaking edge or fulcrum 5.

A generally horizontal, billet supporting roller frame, indicated at 6, projects generallyhorizontally and outwardly from one end of the base 2 at right angles to member 4; said roller frame including transversely spaced frame beams I having billet supporting rollers 8 journaled therebetween adjacent the ends of said beams. Attachment arms 9' are rigidly secured to the inner end portions of frame beams l in transversely spaced relation and extend inwardly along opposite sides of the base 2; said arms being pivoted at their inner ends in connection with the base 2 for vertical swinging movement by means of a' cross pin Ill.

The roller frame 6 is disposed so that when substantially horizontal the top point in the periphery of billet supporting rollers 8 is disposed 'in a horizontal plane slightly above the horizontal plane of breakage edge 5, whereby when an elongated billet B is supported on said rollers the inner end portion thereof is disposed in closely overhanging but clearance relation to the breaking edge 5.

A transversely extending U-shaped guide H is fixed on top of the base 2 between the breaking edge and the adjacent or inner ends of attach- -A pressure fiuid actuated power cylinder ment arms 9; such guide being positioned to engage the side edges of the billet and hold said billet in alinement longitudinally of the apparatus.

A pair of upwardly and outwardly inclined arms [2 are secured in connection with opposite sides of base 2 at the end opposite the roller frame 6, and a cross head I3 is fixed between the upper ends of arms I2. An adjustable stop screw it is threaded through cross head [3 at an inward and downward slope, and the inner end-of stop screw [4 terminates at a point for engagement with the inner end of the billet B a predetermined distance from the vertical planeof breaking edge 5.

A rigid yoke indicated generally at 15 straddles the billet B between the pivot pin lfl andthe adjacent roller 8'; such yoke including a cross or stop block it which initially clears the top of billet B a slight distance. Pivot pin Ill isdisposed about midway between the block I5 and edge 5. I! which includes a piston rod I8. is pivotally connected between a support I9 on the floor 20 and attachment ears 2| on the bottom of'the-roller frame 6 adjacent its outer end. A suitable conduit 22 is connected between the cylinder l! and a valved source, not shown, of fluid under pressure,

The power press includes a vertically movable power actuated plunger or ram 23 disposed in a vertical plane between the breaking edge 5 and the inner end of the stop l4.

In use of the above described apparatus, the elongated billet B is first nicked transversely across the top, as at 24, at a plurality of equally spaced points longitudinally thereof; the spacing between said points being predetermined, and equal to the distance horizontally between breaking edge 5 and the inner end of stop screw 14. This nicking 24 is done with a power hack saw.

The billet B is then placed lengthwise on roller frame 6 and run inward through the yoke, and

with the breaking edge5.

Thereafter the cylinder I! is actuated, causing the piston rod It to move upward. This swings the roller frame 6 upward about pivot pin I6, causing the billet to engage against the-under side of cross block l6 of yoke l5, and at the same time the billet at its inner end-portion is swung downwardly into positive binding or clamping engagement with the breaking edge 5. "With the billet thus secured against movement, the plunger 23 is lowered with such force that when'it strikes the unsupported portion of the billet between said breaking edge and the stop screw l4, said portion P is broken away from the remainder of the billet B and falls aside. The plunger I3 is then raised, and the cylinder I! released so as to lower the roller frame 6 to its initial position. This releases the billet B, which is manually advanced into engagement with thestopscrew Ill, whereupon the breaking'cycle is repeated.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein,

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A billet breaker comprising a base, a breakme edge member mounted on the base, means to support and secure a billet with one end portion thereof resting on the breaking edge and projecting therebeyond in unsupported relation, and

a power plunger disposed to forcefully engage said projecting and unsupported portion of the billet on the side opposite said breaking edge;

said supporting and securing means including a fluid pressure actuated power cylinder arranged tosupport andelevate the other end portion of the billet, and a fixed member disposed above said billet intermediate its ends, the cylinder being operative'to elevate the billet into contact with said fixed member whereby to positively clamp said .end portion of the billet against said breaking edge.

2. A billet breaker comprising a base, a breaking edge member mounted on top of said base, a billet supporting frame secured in connection with the base and projecting therefrom, said frame being disposed to support a billet with an end portion of the latter resting on said breaking edge and projecting therebeyond in unsupported relation, said frame being upwardly movable, means to move said'frame and positively clamp the billet against said breaking edge, and a power plunger disposed to forcefully strikesaid projecting portion of the billet on the top.

3. A billet. breaker comprising a base, a breaking edge member mounted on top of the base, a

generally horizontal billet supporting frame pivoted in connection'with the base for vertical swinging movement and projecting outwardly fromsaid base, said frame initially being in a position to support a billet with one end portion thereof overhanging said breaking edge in closely spaced relation andv projecting therebeyond in unsupported relation, a fixed stop member disposed above'the frame and supported billet intermediate the ends of the latter, said stop member being. spaced from the breaking edge lengthwiseof the billet and .away from said one end portion ithereof means to swing the frame upwardly whereby to elevate the other end of the billet, engage the billet intermediate its ends with said stop member, and clamp said one end portion of the billet against said breaking edge, and

a power plunger'disposed to forcefully strike said one end portion of the billet on the top beyond said breaking edge.

4. Apparatus as in claim 3 including a fixed yoke straddlingthe billet intermediate its ends;

said stop member comprising. the end element of the yoke,

5. Apparatus as in claim 3 in which said frame supports the billet for longitudinal sliding movement when clear of said stop member; and another stop member disposed beyond saidbreaking edge and plunger.

6. A billet breaker comprisinga base, a breaking edge member mounted on top of the base, a generally horizontal billet supporting frame pivoted in connection with the base for vertical swinging movement and projecting outwardly from said base, said frame initially being in a position to support a billet with oneend portion thereof overhanging said breaking edge in closely spaced relation and projecting therebeyondin unsupported relation, a fixed stop member disposed above the frame and supported billet intermediate the ends of the latter, said stop member being spaced from the breaking edge lengthwise of the billet and away from said one end portion thereof, means to swing the frame upwardly whereby to elevate the other end of the billet, engage the billet intermediate its ends with said stop member, and clamp said one end portion of the billet against said breaking edge, said means being a pressure fluid actuated power cylinder connected with said frame, and a power plunger disposed to forcefully strike said one end portion of the billet on the top beyond said breaking edge.

7. A billet breaking attachment for a power press which includes a plunger; said attachment comprising a base, a breaking edge member mounted on the base, a fixed stop member mounted in vertically and horizontally spaced relation to said breaking edge, the billet being adapted to extend below said stop member and over said breaking edge with one end portion projecting unsupported beyond said breaking edge and the other end portion projecting beyond said stop member, and power actuated means arranged to support and elevate said other end of the billet whereby to forcefully engage the same against said stop and breaking edge; the attachment being adapted to be mounted on the press in position for the plunger to strike said one end portion of the billet on the side opposite said breaking edge.

8. A billet breaker comprising a base, a breaking edge member mounted on the base, means to support and secure a billet with one end portion thereof resting on the breaking edge and projecting therebeyond in unsupported relation, and a power plunger disposed to forcefully engage said projecting and unsupported portion of the billet on the side opposit said breaking edge; said supporting and securing means including a powerv unit operative to elevate the other end portion of the billet, and a fixed member disposed above said billet intermediate its ends, the power unit being operative to elevate the billet into contact with said fixed member whereby to positively clamp said end portion of the billet against said breaking edge.

ROBERT G. LE TOURNEAU. 

